Bounty Hunters Recommence
by Ciel the Hedgehog
Summary: It’s not like there’s anything here to live for. The people here are desperate; anyone who comes in has no place to look forward to, and nowhere to go..." Of course, no one ever said it had to stay this way. Saving the world? That might just fix things.
1. Prologue: A Sudden Alliance

**Hello everyone, Ciel here! I know a lot of you probably don't remember, but awhile ago, I started an all-OC story called Bounty Maelstrom. Remember? Well...I decided to rewrite and resubmit it. And so, here it is! Bounty Hunters Recommence, the new (and better) version!**

**Now, for those of you wary about a story without your favorite blue and/or black hedgehogs...for one, this story will cross over with the Sonicverse eventually. Second, I ask that you just give this little prologue a read, and see what you think, okay? Thank you, and please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, etc. are property of I, Ciel the Hedgehog. This story takes place in a universe parallel to that of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, owned by SEGA. Exluding similarities to the works by SEGA, any and all similarities to any real characters/places/etc. are purely coincidental.**

--

**Prologue: A Sudden Alliance**

He was running. Running, and he wasn't sure exactly why. On all sides, cold and unforgiving metal loomed over him, with no sight of the sky above. Day or night, he could not tell.

Footfalls that weren't his own reached his ears; he ran faster. The only important thing here was not to be caught. Freedom was the goal, yet by blind instinct alone, he had no idea how to get out.

Noises on either side of him. The endless corridor was flooded by soldiers, all with blank faces and a lifeless aura. Guns raised simultaneously, all aimed towards the one who didn't belong, dead center.

There was no other alternative. He was going to die…

_"Remember your powers, boy! Use them!"_

Bullets fled from their chambers, released toward their target.

"Maelstrom Release!"

Light flashed and blinded, like a savior in time of need. The soldiers fell back, as the bullets intended for the runaway hit their own numbers instead. As everything faded, it was revealed that no target had been there…

--

Rozik panted, glancing around him at the carnage. Ambush attacks were never his favorite things, but he could deal with them well enough. Bodies were strewn everywhere, the vast majority of them on the brink of death. Blood pooled the street like a lake, and Rozik thought blankly that he'd have to clean his boots off when he got home.

Running a hand through his snowy white quills, he turned, seeing a flash out of the corner of his eye. A bomb? No; too small and noiseless.

Curiosity killed the cat, he thought with a snicker. Then again, no one ever said anything about hedgehogs. Besides, he was armed. Gripping his gauntlets, which had three long, claw-like blades on each gauntlet, he strode into the alleyway where he saw the flash come from.

He saw a boy.

"Hello?" The boy asked. Something was off about him, but it was hard to tell exactly what. His fairly scruffy fur was dark blue with gray markings, and he had long quills that were similar to spiky dreadlocks. Rozik guessed that the boy was an echidna, then, which was a rather uncommon species. The boy was wearing a gray jumpsuit and a metal collar around his neck (and was that a broken chain attached to it?). His face was innocent looking, but this was offset by two things.

First; the eyes. One eye was violet in color, and the other, a deep sky blue.

Secondly; a tattoo of the number 6-6-5 was on his right cheek. Tattoos like that were known to be from people who had served time in a big-name prison. Rozik had almost gotten one himself a few times.

"Hello?" The boy asked again. "Where am I?"

Snapping out of his observations, the snowy hedgehog turned his attention back to the boy.

"Blackthorn City, District A-5. You passed out in an alleyway or something."

"Blackthorn…" the boy muttered. "Is that far from Prixtal Prison?"

Rozik raised an eyebrow. "Depends on your definition of far, really…it's a few days away. Why? You headed there?"

"I just escaped from there." Right…Rozik didn't find this to be likely. How could someone escape from a prison, and not know where they were now, much less how far away they were from it? Besides, Prixtal had some pretty tight security; escaping from there was unheard of. Especially for a little echidna boy like this one.

"Right, whatever…" Rozik turned to leave; while he was still curious, he probably had to get back to the base soon. The permanent masses of clouds over the city were darkening; either it was close to nighttime, or it would be raining soon. Acid rain, most likely. Whatever the option, it wasn't a good idea to be out when the clouds were dark.

Unfortunately, it turned out that a couple of Rozik's attackers hadn't died. And, apparently, they weren't happy about it. They were on their feet, sloshing through the blood with murderous intent in their eyes.

"Here little demon," one of them, a rather tall lizard, hissed. "We jussst want a nice little reward for turning in your hide. Trussst usss; we'll make it quick."

"I'm not a demon!" Rozik growled, falling into a fighting stance. "Get it through your thick skulls! Gee, maybe I should skin you instead. I heard that some twisted freaks like lizard-skin boots."

The lizard hissed and rushed forward, slithering from ground to a brick wall with ease. With a smirk, the snowy hedgehog also ran forward, leaping up and thrusting a claw at his opponent. It hit the reptile's tail, which was ripped off with a sickening tear.

The echidna watched in awe as the two battled against the building. The lizard was naturally taller, but Rozik was faster, and seemed to be unexpectedly strong for his short size. It was then that the boy noticed the hedgehog's eyes; there was no color to the eyes, but they were a hole of black. The whites of the eyes were also bloodshot, adding to an appearance that could only be described as a violent frenzy.

So amazed was the boy that he almost missed seeing a large bulldog appear from behind him. The mutt tried to grab the echidna by the head, but the boy whirled around and stepped back. Staring up at his new attacker, he had a brief memory of the soldiers back at Prixtal.

A punch was thrown; the boy dodged. Whirling around, he pulled a roundhouse kick, hitting the dog in the thigh. The echidna faltered, and the bulldog brutishly tossed the boy aside.

_"Didn't I teach you to fight? You have to stand right back up, and don't rely on strength alone. You have a gift, boy."_

Not questioning the words echoing in his head, the echidna got shakily to his feet. The bulldog laughed at the grim determination etched into the boy's face, not noticing as the discolored eyes began to glow ghastly silver. Outstretching his hands, the boy muttered two words.

"Maelstrom Lance!"

A spear of light materialized out of nowhere in the growing shadows of the alleyway, streaking from the boy's hands to the bulldog's chest. It seemed to penetrate right through his body, as if he were made of soggy paper. The massive hound stared soullessly at the sky before collapsing, falling to his knees, and finally hitting the ground with a thud. The lance sticking out of his back glimmered briefly before fading away, and the boy sank to the ground.

Rozik's eyes were dilated, staring at the young fighter in surprise. The lizard he had been fighting was on the ground, twitching every now and then. Stomping on the reptile's neck, Rozik ran over to the boy.

"Kid, how did you do that?"

"Do what?" The boy asked.

"You…that shining spear thing!" Rozik paused, trying to get a grip on his amazement; he had an image to upkeep. The boy shrugged as an answer.

Shaking his head, Rozik realized that he didn't know the kid's name. "So, what do people call you, kiddo?"

"Number 6-6-5," Was the automatic reply, as the echidna stared at the ground, as if amazed by the blood-stained cement. "That was my prisoner number."

"I meant your name."

"Name? I don't have one." Rozik's jaw dropped. The kid had no name? He looked about thirteen or so; how could he not even know his own name?

"You sure?" The boy nodded. "Crap. Well, I'm not calling you a number. That's just stupid…hmm…" Trying to think of what to call the kid, the snowy hedgehog shuffled through his pockets, glancing at the results. A few loose coins, his wallet, various scraps of paper, a few store receipts, a letter for some place called the Starry Night Brew, and a crumpled up paper with the words "Mission" on it. Rozik glanced over it, having already done the mission it requested, when he noticed a name on it.

"Gary," he finally said. "Kid, I'm going to call you Gary. Think you can remember that?"

"Yes sir!" The newly named Gary gave a miniature salute, a smile breaking out over his face. "And what do I name you?"

"I already have a name! I'm Rozik."

"Rozik…Rozik! Got it!"

"Good." The snowy hedgehog opened up what looked like a small pouch on his belt, somehow stuffing his bloodied gauntlets inside the small space. When he had done this, he looked Gary in the eye, and said, "So, you're not headed anywhere, are you?"

"Not right now," Gary replied. "I don't even know where I am…oh yeah, Blackthorn! District A-5, right?"

"Yeah…but now, you're coming with me."

"Why?" The echidna looked confused again.

Rozik shrugged. "You just escaped prison, and you have no place to go. You ain't half bad at fighting, and I think I know a person or two who might be more or less interested in that ability of yours. Besides, I named you. Because of that, that means you have to do what I say, and I say that you come with me."

Of course, he still didn't totally buy into the boy's claim about escaping Prixtal…but the rest he said was true. It was a hunch, he thought; letting this stranger just walk off was a bad idea.

"Okay then. Lead the way!" The duo walked out of the alleyway, leaving footprints of blood other than their own. Unknowingly, Rozik had just taken his life, and began turning it upside down.

--

**Alright, now for what will probably be the last of the author's notes. From here on, it will just be story, story, and more story!**

**As mentioned earlier, this world is parallel to the Sonic world. So, there will be some similarities, like species and how the Maelstrom stuff is like the Chaos stuff...and some things will be different. Of course, that is to be expected. Still, it has enough similarities to be placed here, instead of on Fictionpress (where I also post stuff...)**

**Also as mentioned, these are all my characters. Sorry, but I won't be able to put your OC's in here...no questions asked.**

**Well, I think that's all I need to say. If you'd like, review, and tell me what you think. Now, here's the end of my notes, so...enjoy the fic!**

**Ciel**


	2. Chapter 1: The New and the Nostalgic

**Chapter 1: The New and the Nostalgic**

The streets were gray and gritty, the same as the sky. Gary had never seen the sky before; at first, he thought it was a giant ceiling to an even bigger building. The idea that there was basically nothing holding them inside this place was fascinating.

"So people can come and go as they please?" He asked Rozik. "That must be great!"

"Not really," the snowy hunter replied. "It's not like there's anything here to live for. The people here are desperate; anyone who comes in has no place to look forward to, and nowhere to go. And everyone who stays…usually too poor or tied up to even think about leaving. Besides, where is there to go?"

Gary shrugged; he honestly didn't know. "…What about you?"

"I came for my own reasons," Rozik stated simply. There was no reason to relate his whole life story; he wasn't that kind of guy. "I'll just say that I'm from a place up north a ways. Where'd you come from?"

"Prixtal Prison! I thought I already explained that."

"I mean before you ended up in Prixtal. Where were you then?"

The echidna boy paused, thinking as he followed the one who named him. After awhile, he shook his head.

"I don't remember any other place. Just the prison…is that bad?"

"Probably." Another pause. "You probably didn't know this, but the sky isn't supposed to be gray. It used to be…well, blue, mostly."

"A blue sky?" Gary looked up, as if to find a trace of blue in the clouds above. Had he been one to notice such things, he also would have found a hint of nostalgia in the hedgehog's voice.

"Come on Gary; we're almost to the base."

--

The screen was bright, numbers and letters flickering across them in an almost senseless pattern. A pair of eyes the color of emeralds watched them, mentally copying the info for future use.

These eyes belong to a female rabbit, sporting light orange fur and bubblegum-pink hair. She was dressed in a dark green work suit that was decorated with magenta trim and various oil stains. A variety of tools were attached to the girl's belt, and a shotgun leaned against her chair. Right now, she was reading the screen of the computer in front of her, copying what she saw onto the page of a worn-out notebook.

"Yo Orea, open the door up!" Hearing her name, the rabbit turned her head toward the entryway to the base, where someone was pounding on the other side of the door.

"Like, it's not that hard to open," She yelled back. "Just push harder." With a few choice curses as the reply, the door was beat some more, and eventually thrust open with an ear-splitting screech that made Orea wince. They really needed to oil that door hinge, and probably get rid of the rust to boot.

Rozik was standing in the doorway, and Orea noticed that the snowy hunter's usual outfit of black leather had a few new rips and bloodstains. What surprised her more, however, was the scraggly yet energetic echidna standing behind him.

"This is the base?" The boy asked. "It's so…"

"Different? Everything seems like that to you, kid." Smirking at the rabbit's confused expression, Rozik pointed to the boy. "Orea, this thing's name is Gary. Gary, that rabbit over there is Orea. She's our resident techno girl."

"Hi there!" Gary nodded, and Orea noticed that he had a shackle around his neck. It looked like the chain had been broken.

"…Where did you, like, pick this kid up?" She asked Rozik. "Steal him from the local jail?"

Grinning mischievously, the snowy hedgehog replied, "Orea, I want you to check something. See if anyone has escaped Prixtal recently." This earned a blank stare, the rabbit shaking her head in disbelief.

"Like, you're more drunk than usual, Rozik. I mean, totally no one has escaped Prixtal in, like, forever! Especially not this…this…"

"Gary!" The echidna replied. "And I did escape! Really!"

Well, the girl thought, this echidna certainly seemed honest. Meaning that either he did escape Prixtal, or he was delusional and insane. The first was impossible and problematic, but then why in the world would Rozik drag this kid here?

Cautiously, Orea went back to her computer and pulled up the database for the prison. Easily bypassing the security codes and firewalls, the rabbit made it to the list of prisoners, sorted by number, name, and status.

"Okay, like, what's this kid's number?"

"6-6-5," Gary recited, pointing to the tattoo on his cheek. Orea's eyes widened at the sight, but she tried not to show any surprise. Still, the kid obviously had been in some sort of jail…With a shake of her head, she scrolled down the list in numerical order, eventually reaching the number. What surprised her was the fact that no name was listed, and in status, it read, 'Unknown. Search and retrieve.'

Emerald eyes stared at the screen, speechless. Rozik sauntered over, his pure black eyes widening as he read the screen. Gary stared at it too, but from the look on his face, he couldn't understand what it said.

"What's the problem?" He asked curiously. "Rozik, why are we staring at this thingy?"

"If I'm not mistaken," Rozik said, "The list says that you did escape…right?"

"Right," Orea confirmed slowly. "He escaped, and they have no idea where he is…and, like, they want him back. But wouldn't it be easier to kill him?"

"That's what I need to talk to Brom about. Where is he, by the way?"

"Out." Orea pulled out another mission list, handing it to Rozik. "He's checking District D-2 for a bounty. He heard that Kecht's group has been hanging around there, so he wanted to grab the job before they got to it."

"I smell another Turf War," Sighing, Rozik sat down on a crate, one of many that were piled up against the back wall near Orea's computer. Not knowing what else to do, Gary sat on the floor next to him. He watched as the white-furred hunter squinted at the paper for a minute, as if he couldn't read exactly what it said, before stuffing it into his pocket.

Nodding, the rabbit began typing away on her keyboard again. "It wasn't that long ago that we were, like in one. We lost a lot of our group, too. The Kay siblings were killed off, Maurice got a blow to the head, Kneller was taken captive and fled before we could get to her, and Darem, like, quit right afterward."

"Cowards," Rozik hissed. "Hey, what matters is that we kicked ass and won."

"You mean you fought?" Gary asked curiously. "Was it like back in that alleyway?"

The snowy hunter beside him laughed. "Kid, this was worse. We had blood and bullets everywhere, in nearly every district. We almost got the city guards involved too. It was much worse than that little skirmish."

From the look on his face, this seemed to catch Gary's attention. It was something familiar to him; while skies and cities were things he had never dealt with before, he knew about fighting. All the prisoners had to fend for themselves, from the security guards as well as other captives. When things got from bad to worse, one could always solve things with a few punches and kicks, and hopefully, no one died in the process. Gary wasn't sure if he had ever killed anyone or not, aside from the bulldog in the alleyway.

"Sounds fun!" he said finally. "Is that what you guys do? Fight?"

"Like, Rozik didn't explain to you already?" Orea asked. "We're bounty hunters."

Before the echidna could ask what she meant, a deep voice explained, "Bounty hunters like us take on missions to capture and kill those who have angered the wrong authorities, be it for better or worse."

Gary whirled around to the direction the voice came from, and found the source immediately. Entering the building was a bull, covered in shaggy black and brown fur. Aside from his piercing gray eyes, criss-crossing scars, and his gargantuan size, the only thing that really stood out about him was a giant metal hammer strapped to his back. The hammer looked about the same size as Rozik, and even though the hedgehog was short, it was by no means a small size for a weapon.

"Like, Brom, look at what we found!" Orea exclaimed, pointing at Gary. "We think this kid, like, escaped from Prixtal!"

"What do you mean 'we?'?" Rozik growled. "I'm the one who found him!"

"Silence, both of you." The hedgehog and rabbit shut their mouths immediately, as the bull examined the scraggly echidna. "Boy, my name is Brom Cansidel. I am the leader of this specific group of bounty hunters. Now, what is your name?"

"My name's Gary! Rozik there named me." Brom raised an eyebrow, and Rozik shrugged.

"I see," The bull nodded. "Is it true that you escaped Prixtal Prison?"

"Uh huh!" When no one said anything, the echidna decided that they probably wanted him to continue. "Some of the guards were supposed to replace my shackles today, and this one on my neck had already broken. When they took my other shackles off, I heard someone tell me to run. So, I ran and I ran, and then all these soldiers were about to shoot me…then I heard that voice again, and there was a flash, and…I was out."

With another nod, Brom stared at Rozik. "You found him soon after?"

"Yeah. I dealt with an ambush attack in District A-5, and then I saw this flash. Here was this clueless little kid sitting in the alleyway…doesn't even have a name. Next thing I know, there are two more attackers on us, and he fired this…thing. It looked like a shining spear or something."

"Then Rozik named me, and he brought me here!" Gary finished.

Orea and Brom exchanged glances. The former seemed skeptical, while the latter's face was mostly blank, with a hint of interest.

"Orea, give our guest here a tour of the base," Brom decided. "Rozik, I need to discuss a few things with you. If you would come with me…" It was almost funny seeing them leave the base; with one being tall and dark-colored, and the other short and pale in comparison, they seemed like polar opposites.

Shrugging, the rabbit with the bubblegum-pink hair turned to her 'guest.' "Like, it's just you and me, then. Come on; I'll show you around."

--

A good deal away from the base, a certain room was rather dark. Two figures stood in the pitch black, neither either to see the person they were talking to. Only their eyes could really be noticed; one had normal, violet eyes. The other had eyes that began in darkness, like the room, but faded into a bone-chilling blue before slipping back to black. There was currently silence, save for the sound of chains slowly rattling.

"He has escaped," a male voice broke the silence with these words; it was the figure with the faded eyes who spoke. "Against all odds, I must say. I place him in my highest security prison, with guards around him at all times. I even stole his memories, and yet he still remembers his powers enough to escape."

"I see, sir." This was the violet-eyed figure; a female, this time. "Is there any clue as to where he's gone?"

"…Not to most," the first replied. "However, I did manage to pick up a faint trail of Maelstrom energy. Now, where do you think this trail led?" Before violet-eyes could reply, the first continued, "Blackthorn City. Your area of specialty, of course."

"And you wish for me to find him?"

"Indeed." Footfalls echoed through the room. "I expect reports every week. Sooner, if you find him beforehand."

"Yes, sir." There was no sound to indicate this, but the female figure had left. Still in the darkness, the figure with faded eyes growled under his breath.

"He picked the worst time to escape…Project 6-6-5…"

--

Gary was absolutely amazed by the base, which used to be an abandoned warehouse. Old crates were everywhere, serving as makeshift walls. Orea showed him all of the areas inside the base; the computer area (which usually served as 'Orea's room' as well), a small area to practice fighting, a weapons stash, four spare rooms (which had three crate walls, a cot, and a chair), a bathroom, a food/rations storage area, the office (where missions were recorded, filed, and delivered; this also served as 'Brom's room'), and finally, a garage area. The garage had various machines, weapons, and what looked like a black mix between a miniature tank and an off-road truck. It was loaded down with weapons, and the lock system was disabled for easy exits. Orea fondly referred to it as the All Purpose Assault Vehicle, or the APAV for short.

"You guys built all of these yourselves?" The echidna boy asked once the tour had ended.

Nodding, Orea offered him a smile. "We sure did! Well, like, it was mostly Brom; he's been the leader of this group ever since he formed it. That was around the time I was born, but I, like, didn't join until I was four."

"Why didn't you join earlier?" Gary asked.

"I wasn't an orphan until then." The rabbit let out a nostalgic sigh. "Like, my family was killed in a government attack. Brom found me all alone, and he, like, saved me…ever since then, he's been, like, a father to me." She paused. "The others were too, but they're all gone. Brom and I are the only originals; Rozik's been here for about four years or so, and Seema's been here for three."

"Seema?"

"She's not here yet, but you'll meet her soon, I bet. Like, she's a mantis, and an assassin to boot. Did you know she used to be an aristocrat?" Gary, of course, shook his head; he hadn't known that, since he had only recently heard about Seema, and he had no clue what an aristocrat was anyway.

"So if you were here since you were four…how old does that make you?"

Orea laughed suddenly, and replied, "Kid, you like, never ask a girl her age. Anyway, if you can do the math, I've, like, worked here for eleven years."

Okay, Gary thought, and began counting on his fingers. He eventually added the numbers up, and proudly replied, "You're fifteen!"

"Still counting with your fingers?" The rabbit asked, one eyebrow raised. "Geez, like, what did your parents teach you?"

It suddenly occurred to Gary that he didn't know. He wasn't sure if his parents had been at Prixtal as well, and he certainly didn't remember anyone teaching him.

Noting the blank look on his face, Orea caught the hint, and instead proceeded to drag the boy around the base some more.

--

Rozik and Brom stood under the metal awning on the side of the base. It was starting to rain; it wasn't the acid type, like usual, but there was still no reason to stand in it and get soaked.

"This behavior is peculiar for you, Rozik," the ox commented. "It's a dog eat dog world…I believe you said that once or twice?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" The snowy hunter snapped back.

"Because that's how you are; you work solely for your benefit, with no concern as to how it seems to others. And suddenly, you bring in this boy…strange powers or not, I'm surprised you brought him in."

The hedgehog growled under his breath while simultaneously rolling his pitch black eyes. "I thought you'd be happy for a new matter, considering the fact that we lost…oh, only seven members in the last Turf War, and we gained an outstanding…zero."

"You're improving at sarcasm."

"That's beside the point!" The hedgehog stepped back, fuming enough not to notice that he had stepped into the rain. "Look, if I feel like bringing in a lost little kid, then why shouldn't I?"

"I never said you shouldn't." Pausing, Brom added, "Since you brought him in, I hope you don't mind training the boy."

"Dammit, I forgot about that…well, he's a good enough fighter already. A little rough, but it won't take too long to teach him." As if finally noticing that water was seeping past his fur and into his skin, the hedgehog shivered. "Well, screw it. I'll return in the morning; since I'm getting wet already, I may as well head home."

"A sensible reason. Good night, Rozik." Brom turned and headed inside, his small, whip-like tail swishing in time with his steps.

Rolling his eyes one last time, Rozik continued his walk in the way. Maybe he'd stop at a bar on the way home? Nah…he didn't want to get out of the rain unless it was home, where he could dry off and sleep.

_I'm surprised you brought him in._ That was what Brom had said. And, of course, he hadn't gotten an exact reason why.

Of course, Rozik had never been the kind to admit things, especially not that the lost little boy reminded him so much of himself when he first entered the forbidding Blackthorn City.

"I'll be damned if I'm getting soft," He growled to no one in particular. "That boy's just going to end up like another hardened fool with nowhere to go. Just like everyone else in this city…"

God, he wished there was a blue sky again.


	3. Chapter 2: An Explosive Start

Chapter 2: An Explosive Start

**Chapter 2: An Explosive Start**

Later that night, Brom had returned, explaining the situation to Orea and Gary. The echidna would be allowed to join, as long as he gave a demonstration of his powers later, as well as listened to whatever the other hunters said. Rozik would be in charge of keeping Gary in line, and taking him on missions until he could stand on his own. Also, since he had nowhere to stay, he would be allowed to use one of the spare rooms.

As soon as Gary hit the cot, he realized two things. One; he had never slept on something so soft. Two; he was asleep.

If he had still been counting, he would have added three; he was dreaming.

--

_Something was strange with the ceiling –no, the sky, he corrected himself. It wasn't that iron gray color he had seen earlier. Instead, it was a strange, light color…was that blue?_

_He sat up, without realizing that he had been lying on the ground. Oddly enough, he was surrounded by many short, green blades. Something told him 'grass, of course,' but he didn't know what it was._

_Standing up, he stretched, and wondered where he was. The base? No…Prixtal? Good god, no…he had had enough of that place. _

_Off in the distance, he saw a soft white glow. Up above, a larger glow that hurt to look at, but it seemed more yellow in color. And finally, off to the other side…he wasn't sure. He walked over, and he thought it was just a small ledge._

_Looking down, however, he realized that he was staring down at a city, a city so small, it seemed like he could obscure it with his hand._

'_That's because I'm up here. Up in the sky.'_

_He didn't know where that thought came from either. How could people reside up in the sky? It didn't make any sense…yet here he was._

_And suddenly, in a strange speed that only dreams possessed, he found himself leaning over the edge, and falling, falling through the blue sky…_

--

Gary's eyes snapped open, wondering where he was this time. He quickly remembered the warehouse, but certainly not the girl watching him.

"Oh, did I wake you?" She asked quietly. Unlike the other hunters, she had no fur. The girl's skin was light green, with darker green hair. She was dressed in red and violet clothes, which while seeming a bit too loose or a bit too tight in areas, seemed to fit her perfectly. She had small, translucent wings resting against her back, and her hands…they were actually pinchers, covered in light violet gloves.

"My name is Seema," the girl continued, and Gary remembered that she had been mentioned earlier; she was a mantis assassin. "What's your name, might I ask?"

"Gary!" The boy exclaimed. "The others told me about you last night."

"Good to know that I wasn't forgotten." She turned toward the door, not making a sound as she did so. "I was just checking on the new member I heard about. I hope to work with you later, Gary."

Just like that, she was gone. The echidna paused, rubbing the sand from his eyes to make sure that he wasn't still sleeping. He blinked, and verified that he was still in the base.

"Yo, Gary!" This time, Rozik ran into the room. "Get up; we've got work to do."

"Already?" The boy asked. He didn't realize that he'd be getting his first mission this early.

"Well, technically, we don't have a job yet…" The snowy hunter leaned against the crates that formed the left wall of Gary's room, and stifled a yawn. "However, I've got a letter to deliver, and I figured I could start showing you around the city. It'd be better for you than to have to learn first-hand on a mission. You'd get lost, I know it."

"Oh…well, thank you!" Not realizing that he had been insulted, Gary clambered out of his bunk. Rozik raised an eyebrow.

"First, you need to get something other than that on," He added. "Call me stupid, but I think people would notice you if you went around town in that prison suit."

Gary paused, looked down at his gray jumpsuit and shackles, and then back at Rozik. "…Stupid?"

--

Now dressed in a pair of brown-camouflage pants, shoes, gloves, and only one shackle that he refused to take off of his neck, Gary was considerably less noticeable than before. As an added effect, Orea had dragged him aside before the duo left, and she used a bit of her spare makeup to cover up the tattoo on his cheek. Now, the only things truly odd about the echidna's appearance were his mismatched eyes.

Rozik and Gary were now outside, heading for the Starry Night Brew in District C-2. There were, Gary was told, a total of eight districts in Blackthorn City. They were as follows; Warehouse District A, Housing District B, Market District C, Neon District D, Abandoned District E, Slum District F, Junk District G, and Noble District H. Each district was named by what they were best known for amongst the citizens, as well as the letter it was called by the government. For example, Market District C was known for having more and better shops than any other districts.

"The place we're headed to, Starry Night Brew, is one of the best taverns in the district," Rozik explained. "The alcohol's good and strong, and the barkeep doesn't let the fights get to out of hand. Plus, it's right next to the river that runs throughout town; when the lights in the bar are on, you can sometimes look at the water outside, and it'll glisten like starlight. That's how the place got its name."

"Sounds pretty."

"Yeah. Now, if you see a guy at the bar, we're good. That's Scaza; he's who we want to talk to. He's good enough. If you see his wife, however…turn tail and bolt. I've never seen a meaner bitch in my life, and I have seen more than my share of mean bitches. She's chased me out more than once, even when I was sober. Last time, she nearly took my head off with a broom." He laughed at this, but Gary wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

Thankfully, he didn't have to guess; Scaza was at the counter. He was an old lizard, probably some sort of iguana. Everything about him was gray and faded, from his scales to his clothes. His eyes, however, were quite sharp, and still had life to them in the form of a flicker of orange.

"Up for a drink thisss early in the day?" The barkeep asked with a typical lizard hiss. "Timesss mussst be bad, Rozik. Who'sss the boy?"

"Gary. I'm training him…and no, I didn't come for a drink." A pause. "On second thought, one beer never did any harm." The hedgehog hopped onto one of the barstools, pulling out some change and a letter. He slid both to the lizard in exchange for a drink, and he smirked as he watched the lizard read.

"Interesssting…" Scaza hissed. "Ssso, thisss boy isss a convict? Pretty risssky for Brom to take him in. Well, I'll keep an eye out for newsss."

As Gary later learned, the old barkeeper was an ally of Brom's. Apparently, they had known each other for a long time; they both used to work in the army together, and at one point, they were both bounty hunters before the old lizard permanently injured his leg, and was forced to resign to the back lines. He now kept an ear out for information, as well as serving up drinks to whoever passed through the doors.

The echidna sat down next to Rozik, watching as his partner chugged the can of beer as if he were a dehydrated man drinking water. Oddly enough, when the boy asked how it tasted, the reply was "You'd think it's nastier than hell."

The barkeeper lizard was still behind the counter, polishing beer mugs as Rozik finally set the drink down. With a bright glint in those orange eyes, the lizard said, "Sssinccce you're here, I'm sure you wouldn't mind doing a little…mission for me, now would you?"

Gary and Rozik exchanged glances.

"Sounds fine to me!" The former of the two exclaimed happily. "I haven't had my first mission yet!"

"I could use the extra cash," Rozik admitted. "So, what do you need us to do? Eliminate an annoying customer? Stake out a rival booze joint?"

Scaza's laugh was a harsh, raspy sound; it sent a shiver down Gary's spine. "No, actually. You sssee, I need to have a delivery picked up. However, I've heard that lately, there have been a ssseriesss of ambushesss in the Junk Dissstrict. That'sss where my ssstash isss; I need you boysss to essscort my driver to and from there, to make sure he doesssn't get ambushed himssself, or loosssesss my merchandissse."

"I hate ambushes," The snowy hunter growled, "but I suppose I'll do it. You up for it, Gary?"

"Yes sir!" The echidna gave that miniature salute again. "So, who's driving?"

Scaza chuckled, receiving a confused look from the boys. "Oh, you might know him…Darem! I've got the boysss for the delivery!"

"Aye then, I'm comin'." Out from the back stepped another lizard…well, Gary thought it was a lizard, at first, seeing how it had scales (which were, by the way, a kind of light grayish-violet). Of course, Gary was pretty sure that lizards didn't have wings, and those horns on its head didn't look too normal either. Whatever it was, he (at least, it looked like a he, except for the really long blond hair) was dressed in the black-and-white clothes of a waiter, save for an eye patch over the left eye.

Both Rozik and Darem's eyes widened upon seeing each other, as if they hadn't expected to see each other here. Maybe they knew each other, Gary wondered?

"Scaly? What the hell?" The snowy hunter asked. "A waiter here? I thought you left town on that damned boat of yours."

"That wasss hisss plan," The barkeeper answered for him, "when he bought the old boat I won a few yearsss back. However, I noticcced that at leassst half of hisss money wasss counterfeit. Of courssse, being the niccce guy that I am, I allowed him to sssimply work off the ressst of hisss debt."

"Oh really?" Rozik smirked again. "Wow Darem. I knew you were into illegal things, but cheating out an innocent old man? That's a new low."

"I didna' ken that it be counterfeit!" The…thing shook his head, running a hand through his spiky blond hair. "O' course, if I managed tae get through the job this long wi'out runnin' intae ye, I should be pretty proud o' meself."

"Rozik," Gary whispered, "I can't understand what he's saying."

The hedgehog sighed. "That's perfectly normal. Sadly, I think it's a little too late to get out of this…"

--

It was indeed too late to get out of the mission. Not much later, Gary found himself riding in the back of a rusty old pickup truck. The dark green paint was old and chipping, and there were various stains in the back. The echidna wondered how many were from fights and ambushes in the past.

Either way, he had a good view of the city from here. Almost everything was like the sky; gray and dreary, with little variation. Some citizens looked like normal people trying to get by in life, and others looked like they were discarded rejects. The latter of these hung around the sidewalks and corners, asking for spare change as they sat in their withered blankets and clothes. Some were even feral, fighting each other with what little they had.

Even though Gary didn't know what life was usually like, the very sight made him feel depressed.

"_The people here are desperate; anyone who comes in has no place to look forward to, and nowhere to go."_

Wasn't that what Rozik had said? In a way, it was exactly like the prison; no way out, and nothing to look forward to. There had to be something better, right? Like that place in his dreams…

A bump in the road jolted him out of his thoughts. He glanced around, but things were still the same, so the echidna allowed his attention to drift up front.

Darem was in the driver's seat, steering while simultaneously smoking a cigarette. Rozik was in the passenger seat next to him, not looking too happy as he glared out the window. They had been talking earlier (Gary hadn't paid enough attention to know what it was about), but now the only sound was that of tires scraping against the pavement. It was unnerving, so the boy decided to ask a question that was on his mind.

"Hey, Darem? Are you a lizard?"

The driver briefly glanced back at Gary, seeming a bit annoyed by the question.

"Everybody asks me that. Nay, I'mna' a lizard. Ever heard of a dragon, laddie?"

"He hasn't," Rozik answered sharply. "I don't think they had fairy tales in prison, Scaly."

"Like ye would ken that." Darem coughed briefly, bits of smoke seeping away. "Anyway, I be a dragon. We usually dinna' live around here, but I kinda' got meself… stranded, ye could say."

"Join the club and buy a beer," Opening the window, Rozik stared up at the mass of gray up in the sky. "Everyone gets lost in here."

"Well, unlike ye, I be gettin' out."

"How?" Gary asked. "Rozik told me that there isn't a way to leave, and nowhere to go!"

"That there be called pessimism." The dragon tapped his cigarette a few times, seeing as it was now burnt out, before tossing it out the window. "Unlike some others-" this part, he glanced at Rozik before looking at the road again "-I actually have a goal. I'm sailing me boat out, and finding…well, ye wouldna' really care tae hear."

"What? What is it? I want to know!" The echidna sat up eagerly in his seat, his tail practically wagging. It caused his partner to smirk, and the dragon to laugh.

"Simple, really. I be searchin' for the two best things in life. Family and treasure…is anythin' really more important?"

"Oh, I could list off a million more things," Rozik growled. "Like keeping your eyes on the road." The truck ran over a particularly nasty bump at this point, and the dragon driving shouted a few choice curses as he steered onto the road instead of crashing into a building. A scraggly rat that had been leaning against said building shouted at them as they passed.

"_Family and treasure…is anythin' really more important?"_ Gary wasn't sure. He didn't know exactly how to define 'treasure,' and as for family…the echidna didn't really remember any. Did he have one?

He stared back up at the sky, and the tall buildings reaching high up. Not too far off, he could see spires and mounds of metal; Junk District G. Would anything happen there? Would this be an easy first mission?

It didn't matter; he would deal with whatever came his way. For now, that was the most important thing to do.

--

A gray wolf padded around, keeping an eye out for a certain dark green truck that his scouts had noticed. Someone, daring to come into his territory? It was unheard of. Plus, two of the three sighted in the truck were reportedly from Brom's group of hunters.

"Damn him." The wolf growled, gripping tightly to a dagger he was holding. "He doesn't think Kecht can keep a good group, now does he? Kecht will show him, oh yes he will…"

"Sir!" A recent recruit, a small sewer rat more accustomed to thieving than fighting, ran up to the wolf, saluting. "The truck and targets are just around the block. Should we attack?"

"No," the wolf replied. "Kecht and his group shall hide. Watch the targets, and see what they are up to. When Kecht gives the signal, Kecht shall attack, with group right behind him."

"An ambush! Yes Kecht, sir! I shall inform the others right away!" The rat still wasn't sure why his boss always spoke in third person, but he seemed perfectly sane aside from this little quirk. He was a brilliant tactician, a smart leader, and most importantly, was quite deadly.

Kecht watched as the rat scurried away, a smirk on his face. Time to see what Brom's group was up to, right? Slinking into the shadows, nothing could be seen except, if one looked hard enough, the glint of a dagger, and the glow of crimson eyes.

--

"Eww…what is this stuff?" Gary had thought that the merchandise they were picking up for Scaza was more alcohol. And, while there were a few cases of vodka (which Rozik was eyeing), most of the products were bags of noxious plants, with sickly orange leaves. They seemed to be slowly oozing what looked like tar, which kept sticking to the echidna's gloves.

"These be Silk Leaves," Darem explained, easily tossing the bags into the back. "Scaza told me they be 'specially ordered. The pus is usually used for medicine, an' the leaves produce a boost of strength. O' course, it leaves ye too muddled up tae do anythin' useful."

"That's nice and all," Rozik growled as he lifted another bag, "but why the hell are they called Silk Leaves?"

"Because when ye' are high on the leaves, they feel like silk instead o'…well, instead o' the disgusting leaves they be."

The snowy hunter raised an eyebrow. "And you know this…how?"

"Well, I admit tae sampling a bit o' Silk Leaves once. Not the best experience I ever had, mind you." The dragon shrugged, as if he had only been discussing the weather. Rozik just rolled his eyes again, muttering something along the lines of "Figures…" as he added another bag to the pile in the truck.

Gary listened to the conversation with half interest, hoping that he'd never have to taste any medicine made from Silk Leaves. After finally stuffing his third disgusting bag into the truck (and remembering that he'd have to sit in the back with the stuff, the thought of which nearly made his stomach roll), he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Rozik?" He asked. "Er…how long has that rat over there been there?"

"Which one?" Briefly interrupted, the hedgehog glanced over to Gary.

"That one, on the sidewalk over there. I think he's been watching us." The boy pointed across the street, where a murky rat was standing. Rozik and the vermin noticed each other at the same time, the latter of which bolted.

The snowy hunter smirked. "I suppose he has…kid, stay alert."

"Too late for that."

In one instant, the shadows seemed to come alive as ragged hunters darted out of them, their bodies littered with scars and weapons. Gary instinctively put up his fists, seeing Rozik pull out his claws nearby. Darem didn't seem to be going anywhere; in fact, he seemed oddly calm for someone who was unarmed.

In fact, the trio was surrounded now. It happened so fast that the echidna didn't notice until he had already downed one fighter, and another one was trying to bury a knife in his throat. There were hunters everywhere; there had to be at least ten, if not more.

As he threw the beast with the knife off, something else caught his eyes. A bright, warm light was engulfing some of the hunters, who screamed and yelled in pain. It took a moment for Gary to recognize what it was: fire. But where was it coming from?

There wasn't any time to think about it; his fists were making contact with the knife wielder's head, pounding hard and quick as warm blood began to soak his gloves. The figure quickly fell limp, with no way to tell if he was alive or dead.

"And next time, stay off!" That was Rozik as he threw another assailant to the cement-clad ground. He had the same, wild-eyed expression as when Gary saw him the first time. Around the hedgehog, at least four different bodies were scattered, scarlet liquid staining the ground. A bit of blood had splattered the truck, and not far off, Darem was fighting his three attackers. This time, Gary noticed where the fire had come from; the dragon was breathing it like air, madly darting around as he set his foes alight.

"_Look behind you, fool! Remember to be aware of your surroundings!"_

Just who was that?

He turned around right in time to avoid being hit by more daggers, each one wielded by one gray wolf whose eyes seemed to have been painted with the battlefield blood. The wolf appeared rugged and fierce, yet held an air of authority alongside his manic expression as he followed the echidna's movement, stabbing him in the side. It was almost amazing how the wolf managed to hold so many daggers at once –three in each hand, so six total, Gary noted blankly- and still wield them so precisely.

Of course, the boy quickly noticed the pain, obeying his instincts to make the wolf in front of him suffer for the wound. He threw a punch, only to have the mad dagger master pivot and plant another dagger near the spine. Yelping in pain, Gary twisted under the blow and grabbed the wolf's arm, throwing him to the ground.

"_Finish him! Finish him now!"_

A light began to glow in Gary's hand, a shining orb laced with silver. Aiming at the chest of the wolf on the ground, the echidna's eyes glistening white as he did so, he muttered, "Maelstrom-"

"Not so fast!" The wolf spat, hurling one of his daggers. It was enough of a distraction for Gary to temporarily lose his concentration, as the wolf rolled from the spot and began to rise to his feet. The Maelstrom Lance collided with the ground, sticking there for a moment before dissipating.

"Kecht sees that the boy has powers," The wolf growled. "Powers like that are not natural. Tell me, what are you?"

The echidna blinked. "What do you mean? I'm Gary."

Kecht smirked at this. "Foolish boy. Such a waste to have powers like this, and be too stupid to use them…even more of a waste that you must die with them."

For a brief second, the echidna was certain that the daggers in Kecht's hands were about to pierce him, and rip him to shreds before he could utter another word. Instead, everything suddenly shone in a bright light –had he skipped the pain, and simply died? No, it wouldn't be that simple. Besides, if he was dead, he probably wouldn't hear Kecht screaming like that, nor would he feel someone grabbing him by the chain on his shackle and dragging him away from the wolf, who was howling in pain from the sudden fire spreading across his back.

"Huh?"

"Jus' shut up and hold tight." The person dragging him tossed him into the back of the truck, where he landed on the bags of sickly smelling leaves. The advice wasn't a waste; if he hadn't grabbed onto the side of the truck, he felt like the speed it was going at would have shook him off.

He was amazed at how fast the Junk District was leaving his sight; it had felt like it had taken so long to get in less than an hour ago.

Trying to get his thoughts together, Gary finally managed to ask what he had really been wondering all along.

"…What just happened?"

"We were attacked, doofus. That's the reason we were hired in the first place." That was Rozik in the passenger seat; his jacket was ripped, and a few small scars littered the skin under his fur. His eyes still seemed bloodshot, and his breathing was still quick and harsh.

"I know that," Gary replied, "but why? Why did they attack us?"

"They didna' seem tae be after the Silk Leaves," Darem admitted, a bit of smoke seeping away with each breath. He looked a bit ripped up as well, and the smell of burning fur clung to him more than the stench of cigarettes. "Most likely, they be the ones in control o' the Junk District. Say Roz, who be in control o' it at the moment, anyway?"

The snowy hunter paused, thinking for a minute. "I think…I'm pretty damn sure it's Kecht."

"Someone mentioned that name!" Gary exclaimed. "It was that gray wolf with all the daggers!"

The duo up-front exchanged brief glances.

"Wasn' that the guy you be fighting that I set on fire?" Darem asked nervously. The hedgehog next to him cursed quite loudly at this.

"You fucking idiot, Darem; that WAS Kecht! You set a gang leader on fire? He still thinks you're part of our group! You probably set off another Turf War again with that, even if he dies from it! And considering all the other crap he's dealt with, I doubt some of your fucking breath is going to kill him."

The dragon sighed, biting his lip. "I didna mean tae burn him like that…I was just trying tae get the laddie out before he got a dagger tae the heart or somethin'."

"Well, watch what you're doing next time!"

"Oh, and ye be payin' attention too? Ye were swingin' away like a loon! Nearly hit the both of us more than once!"

Gary watched them both argue, keeping his mismatched eyes on the road trailing behind him. Definitely not a good way for a first mission to go.

"So…did I screw up too?" He asked, expecting the snowy hedgehog up front to yell at him too. The hedgehog stared at him for a moment, pitch black eyes seething with rage.

"No, you didn't," he finally admitted. "You actually fought with a gang leader, and didn't die in the first few minutes. That's better than…well, a hell of a lot of people. It's just that the mission wasn't exactly supposed to involve us killing people this time." With a brief pause, he added, "Damn, I feel sick. Darem, pull over for a minute."

"Just dinna' get any puke on the truck, ye drunken bastard," the dragon grumbled as he stopped. Thankfully, the Junk District was far behind them now; Gary could only see some of the spires and buildings from here, and no more. The echidna heard the side door open, and Rozik staggering out. The rest didn't sound too good, and he was glad that he wasn't watching.

"He's not sick," Darem said, answering a question Gary was half-thinking. "He just doesna' always handle missions like this well, especially after a beer or two. It'sna' like killin's easy though, right?"

The echidna didn't reply; he didn't entirely understand, to be honest. It didn't actually seem that hard. He certainly killed some of those rival hunters, and would have killed Kecht too. Why oh why had he gotten distracted like that?

"Would Kecht appear in the Turf War too?"

The dragon shrugged at this, pulling out another cigarette. "Probably, but I doubt there will actually be another war right now. Things arena' at their best, and Brom's group –the group ye be with now- finished another war only recently. Hunters are at least decent enough not tae kill each other when it isna' fair."

"Oh." There was a pause, the only sound being the drone of machines far off, and muttered curses from Rozik. "So, why did you quit, anyway?"

Half-heartedly laughing at this, Darem simply replied, "Because really, I dinna' want tae be like those hunters still dead back at the warehouse. That, and…it seems like I'm too muddled up tae do anythin' right in this town."

The door opened again, Rozik climbing back in.

"Let's get our asses out of here," He growled. "I think we've done enough today."


End file.
